Prewelt straightening and cementing machine



April 22, 1941. w. A. WHEATON PREWELT STRAIGHTENING AND CEMENTING MACHINE Filed Nov. 17, 1939 igr3. 66 70 Patented Apr. 22, 1941 PREWELT STRAIGHTENING AND CEMEN TING MACHINE William A. Wheaton, Lynn, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Borough of Fleming-ton, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 17, 1939, Serial N 0. 304,970

19 Claims.

This invention pertains to a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers prior to the lasting operation and as herein illustrated is adapted to straighten the welt and to apply a coating of adhesive to the sole attaching side of the latter.

Preparatory to the lasting operation in the manufacture of prewelt shoes of the type common for childrens wear, it is necessary to straighten the welt or cause it to stand away from the upper along which it lies after the sewing operation. Heretofore in an attempt to procure such straightening it has been carried so far that the welt and upper were stretched far beyond their normal relation in the finished shoe with the result that grinning occurred along the stitched line between the welt and upper which marred the appearance of the finished shoe.

An object of the present invention is therefore to provide an improved machine by which the upper and welt may be caused to stand away from each other and cement applied to the latter in a rapid and efficient manner without straining the relation between the parts to such an extent as to cause the stitching to grin.

In accordance with this object it is proposed to turn the upper back from the welt but in contrast to the previous method it will be turned back only until it occupies a position with relation to the welt that it will normally occupy in the finished shoe. To effect the desired result a feature of the invention resides in the provision of coactin rolls arranged to grip the opposite faces of the welt to progressively feed the work through the machine, the separation of the welt from the upper being effected during the progression of the work by one of the feed rolls which is specially constructed for that purpose. In consequence the aforesaid feed roll is provided with means to engage the outer side of the upper close to the line of stitching and with additional means spaced from the first means to engage the upper at a distance from the line of stitching, said means cooperating to push the upper away from the welt and to turn it toward the position it will assume in the finished shoe.

According to another object of this invention it is desirable to mold the upper, at the same time that the welt is straightened, to the approximate shape of the last in order that the molded conformation of the shoe adjacent theseam will so nearly fit the last that the upper margin may be snapped over the last bottom and will maintain its position on the last without the use of lasting tacks or other means of securement. For

the accomplishment of this object another feature of the invention is in the provision of means which is arranged to cooperate with the abovementioned supporting roll to thrust the upper against the outer face of the supporting roll and to cause the upper to be turned back and molded to the approximate shape it will assume in the finished shoe.

The machine embodying the features herein called for will now be described in detail, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows a fragmentary front elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan view showing the supporting roll and the associated molding member for straightening the welt and initially forming the upper;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end elevation of the machine showing the aforesaid supporting roll and molding member; and

Fig. 4 shows a fragmentary view, partially in section and somewhat enlarged, of the supporting roll and molding member with a piece of work in position.

The invention is herein illustrated as embodied in a machine of the type shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,851,162, granted March 29, 1932, on an application of J. W. Cosgrove. For the purpose of bringing out the present invention only the essential elements pertaining there to will be described herein, since reference may be had to the aforesaid patent for a detailed recitation of the operation of the machine as a whole.

The relation of the upper and Welt of a prewelt shoe when introduced in the machine of the present invention is shown fragmentarilyin Fig. 4, the welt ID and the lined upper I? being joined at their edges by a line ofstitching l4.

In general the essential elements of the present invention are a pair of coacting rolls Hi and I8, which act to feed the work progressively through the machine, and a molding member 29. During the feeding operation the roll it which has a knurled surface applies cement to the sole attaching side of the welt and the roll it turns the upper back from the welt, the molding member 20 cooperating with the roll it to effect the molding of the upper.

The application of cement to the attaching surface of the welt is accomplished by the cement applying roll l6 which is mounted on a shaft i9 journaled in the frame 21 of the machine, the roll being supplied with cement by way of a series of rolls 22 and 24, the latter of which dips in cement in a trough 25. The quantity of cement supplied to the applying roll I6 is governed by a doctor roll (not shown).

The work supporting roll it cooperates with the cement applying roll E6 to grip the opposite faces of the welt and is fixed to a driven shaft 30 journaled in a tiltable arm 32 pivoted on a pin 34 in the frame of the machine, the arm being normally urged upward by a spring (not, shown) to a position determined by a stop pin 38 the position of which may be adjusted by means of a hand wheel 40. Since there is some. variation in.

the work it may be desirable. to adjust the position of the supporting roll laterally with respect to the applying roll which is effected in this instance by'means of a plate, 42 having a forked end 44 (Fig. 3) which is adjustably held in position on the arm 32 by means of a clamp screw- 55. upper from the welt is effected in part by the specially constructed work supporting roll I8. To this end the work supporting roll is provided with a peripheral flange 48 extending from its outer face 52, said flange having a sloping under surface 59. As a result, when the work is placed in the machine with the welt it between the cooperating surfaces of the feed rolls It and I8, the upper I2 is pushed away from the welt by the flange 4B which projects between'the welt and upper close to the line of stitching M, the sloping surface to forcing the portion of the upper adjacent the line of stitching toextend at an acute angle from the welt. The direction of the upper along the side portion thereof is, however, reversed in a smooth curve by the outer face 52 of the supporting roll which, together with the peripheral flange 48, tends to turn the upper back from the welt in the general direction it will have in the finished shoe. In' order to procure the proper turning back and positioningof the upper with respect to the welt, the peripheral surface of the supporting roll must ordinarily be offset. from that of the applying roll by an amount of substantially half its width, as shown in Fig. 4.

To guide the welt in its movement between the feed rolls and to maintain it in proper relation to the cement applying roll a gage 54 is provided. The gage 54 has a downturned. hooked. end 56 which substantially touches the peripheral surface of the supportingroll l8 and is adapted to engage the inner free edge of the welt Ill). The gage is adjustably attached to the pivoted arm 32. so that its relation to the supporting roll remains unchanged when the arm is moved ,down to facilitate the introduction of the work. The lowering of the arm and consequently the supporting roll to permit easy introduction of the work is effected by pulling down on a chain or other analogous member (not shown) attached to an ear 58.

In order to mold the upper and to insure the permanent separation and turning back of the upper from the welt, the spring-pressed molding member 20 is provided. The work engaging surface of this member is substantially S-shaped and has a concave surface 59 disposed opposite the flange it and a convex surface 60 disposed opposite the outer face 52 of the supporting roll, the surfaces being arranged to contact the inner seamed edge of the welt H1 and upper 12 whereby the upper is pressed firmly against the flange 48 thereby'forcingthe-work inwardly so that-the line of stitch- The separation and turning back of the 2 theUnited States-is:

ing I4 is adjacent the rim of the flange. The pressure exerted by engagement of the work between the molding member 20 and the outer surface 52 of the roll molds the upper to the convex surface of the member 20. As a result of this premolding which permanently fixes the relation of the upper and welt, when the upper is placed on the last it conforms so closely to the shape of the last that there is no need for the use of lasting tacks. The molding member 29 is hookshapcd, the concave and convex engaging surfaces of the member being formed at the hooked j end thereof, and is pivotally mounted at 62 above the. supporting roll. on an adjustable slide 64.

1 The shank 66 of the member is extended beyond its pivot point and is held between a stop pin 68 and a spring 1E) arranged to yieldably force the S-shaped work engaging portion of the molding member against the upper.

In using the machine the supporting roll 98 is moved down away from the. cementing roll 16 so that the welt mayeasilybe placed between the coacting surfaces of these rolls with its free edge in contact with the turned-down portion 56 of the gage 54. This is effected by pulling down on themember (not shown) which is attached to the car 58 whereby the arm 32 is tilted about the pivot point 34. The upper ispulled away from the welt and allowed to exten d downwardly over the flange 48 of thesupporting roll and against the outer face of the supporting roll. To facilitate the disposition of the work it may be desirable tohold the molding member 26 away from v the face of the supporting roll while the work is being positioned. The arm 32 may then be released whereupon a spring (not shown) will move it upwardly so as to engage the supporting roll with the cementing roll and grip the welt. The molding member 2i] may also be released a and when it is it will force the downwardly extending upper I2 to bear against the flange 48 and the outer face 52 of the supporting roll. When thenecessaryadjustments have been made in accordance with the work being, operated on andthe machine set inoperation the rolls l8 and 18 will progressively move-the work through the machine during which time theattaching surface of the welt will be coated with cement and the upper will be turned back from the welt' and molded into aposition corresponding substantially to that it'will assume in the finished shoe.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire-to secure-by Letters Patent of 1. In a machine-foroperatingon prewelt shoe uppers before they arelasted, coacting rolls for gripping opposite sides of the welt, oneoftherolls having means constructed and arranged to engage the outer side of the upper close to theline of stitching and additional means spaced.

from the first means arranged toengage the upper at a distancefrom theline of stitching, said means cooperatingto push-the upper away from' the welt and'to turn it toward the position it will assume with respect tothe welt inthe finished shoe. I

2.,In amachine for. operating. on prewelt shoe uppersbefore they are lasted,v coacting rollsl'for gripping opposite. sides .of. the. welt, one. of. the rolls having a surface adapted to engage. the outer side of the upper. close to the line oflstitching, and another'surface' adapted to engage thev upper'at a distance from the line". of stitching, said surfaces cooperating to push" the upper away from the welt and to turn" it toward 'the'position' it will assume with respect to the welt in the finished shoe.

3. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers before they are lasted, coacting rolls for gripping opposite sides of the welt, one of the rolls having a surface adapted to engage the outer side of the upper close to the line of stitching, and another surface oblique to the first surface adapted to engage the upper at a distance from the line of stitching, whereby the upper is pushed away from the welt and turned toward the position it will assume with respect to the welt in the finished shoe.

4. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, coacting rolls for gripping opposite sides of the welt, one of the rolls having a surface 1ying at an acute angle with the coacting surfaces of the rolls, said surface being adapted to engage the outer side of the upper adjacent to the line of stitching, and a surface perpendicular to the coacting surfaces of the rolls, said surface being adapted to engage the upper at a distance from the line of stitching.

5. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, coacting rolls for gripping opposite sides of the welt, one of the rolls having a peripheral flange adapted to engage the outer side of the upper adjacent the line of stitching, and an outer surface adapted to engage the upper at a distance from the line of stitching, said outer surface being arranged to lie at an oblique angle with respect to the peripheral flange, whereby the upper is pushed away from the welt and turned toward the position it will assume with respect to the welt in the finished shoe.

6. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers before they are lasted, coacting rolls for gripping opposite sides of the welt, one of the rolls having a peripheral flange projecting from an outer face thereof, the inner and outer surfaces of said flange intersecting at an angle corresponding substantially to the welt crease desired in the finished shoe, said flange being adapted to be interposed between the upper and welt close to the line of stitching with the outer surface of the flange in engagement with the outer side of the welt and the face of the roll and the inner surface of. the flange in engagement with the upper, whereby the upper is pushed away from the welt and turned toward the position it will assume with respect to the welt in the finished shoe.

7. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers before they are lasted, a roll for applying cement to the welt, and a work supporting roll cooperating therewith to feed the work through the machine, said supporting roll having an outer face and a peripheral flange projecting therefrom, the inner surface of the flange sloping toward and merging with the outer face of said roll, the angular relation of said inner sloping surface to said outer face of the roll being oblique, whereby the upper is pushed away from the welt and turned toward the position it will assume with respect to the welt in the finished shoe.

8. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, a roll for applying cement to the Welt, a work supporting roll cooperating therewith, said supporting r011 having a peripheral flange the inner surface of which lies at an acute angle with the peripheral surface of the supporting roll, said inner surface being adapted to engage the outer side of the upper close to the line of stitching and to force the upper away from the welt, and an outer face adapted to engage the outer side of the upper, said outer surface lying at an oblique angle with respect to the inner surface of the flange so that the upper is turned toward the position it will assume with respect to the welt in the finished shoe.

9. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers before they are lasted, coacting rolls for gripping opposite sides of the welt, and means associated with one of said rolls to force the upper against the outer face of said roll, said means and said outer face cooperating to turn the upper back from the welt and mold it to the approximate shape it will assume in the finished shoe.

10. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers before they are lasted, a cement applying roll, a roll having a surface adapted to engage the outer side of the welt and to cooperate with the cement applying roll progressively to move the work through the machine, said welt engaging roll having a second surface at an angle to the welt engaging surface adapted to engage the outer side of the upper, and means associated with the last-named surface to force the upper against the same.

11. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, a cement applying roll, a work sup-' porting roll cooperating therewith to progressively move the work through the machine, the supporting roll having an outer face, and means constructed and arranged to engage the inner side of the upper to press the outer side of the upper against the outer face of the supporting roll, whereby the upper is turned back from the Welt and molded to the approximate shape it will assume in the finished shoe.

12. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, a cement applying roll, a work supporting roll having a peripheral flange adapted to be interposed between the upper and welt close to the line of stitching, and means constructed and arranged to force the upper against the surface of the flange and the adjacent outer face of the supporting roll, whereby the upper is turned back from the welt and molded to the approximate shape it will assume in the finished shoe.

13. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, a cement applying roll, a work supporting roll having a peripheral surface and an outer face adjacent thereto, said surfaces being adapted to be interposed between the welt and upper, and a spring-pressed member having a work engaging surface which is generally convex adapted to engage the upper and force it against the outer face of the work supporting roll.

14. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, a cement applying roll, a work supporting roll, and a spring-pressed member having an S-shaped surface adapted to coact with the outer face of the work supporting roll to mold the upper, the concave portion of the member being arranged to engage the seamed edge of the work and the convex portion of the member being adapted to engage the upper adjacent thereto so that the upper is turned back from the welt and molded to the approximate shape of the concave portion of said member.

15. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, a cement applying roll, a work supporting roll, and a member having an S-shaped surface arranged opposite the outer face of the supporting roll, said surface being adapted to engage the seamed edge of the work and the upper adjacent thereto so astoforce the work figainfit the outer face of the supporting-r011.

1 In 7 a. machine for p a in on p ewelt shoe uppers before theyare lasted, a roll for applying cement to the welt, a work supporting roll cooperating therewith to feed the work through the machine, said supporting roll having an outer face and a peripheral flange projectin'g therefrom, and an S-shap'ed member having a concave surface arranged oppositethe flange so as to engage the seamed edge of the work and a convex surface lying opposite the face of the roll adapted to engage the upper adjacent thereto, whereby the welt and upper are molded to the approximate shape they will assume in the finished shoe.

17. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers before they are lasted, a roll for applying cement to the welt, a roll cooperating therewith to feed the work through the machine, said second-named roll having an outer face and a peripheral flange projecting therefrom, the inner surface of the flange sloping toward and merging with said outer face, and a member having a concave surface arranged opposite the'flange soias to engage the seamed edge of the work and press the worl; into engagement with the inner surface of said flange.

18. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers, a cement applying roll, a work supporting roll cooperating therewith to feed the work through the maohine, said work supporting roll having an outer face and a peripheral flange projecting therefrom, and a member having an S- shaped surface arranged opposite the outer face of the supporting roll, said S-shaped surface being adapted to engage the seamed edge of the work and the upper adjacent thereto so as to force the work against the outer face of the supporting roll.

19. In a machine for operating on prewelt shoe uppers before they are lasted, a roll for applying cement to the welt, a work supporting roll cooperating therewith to feed the work through the machine, said supporting roll having an outer face and a peripheral flange projecting therefrom, the inner surface of the flange sloping toward and merging with said outer face, and a member having an S-shaped surface which lies substantially opposite the sloping surface of the flange and the outer face of the supporting roll adjacent thereto.

WILLIAM A. WHEATON. 

